Upper buffing device for vestibule face-plates.



l. H. WEISBROD.

UPPER BUFFING DEVICE FOR VESTIBULE FACE PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1915.

1,170,587. I Patented Feb. 8, 1916. I

THE COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH C0 WASHINGTON, u. c.

outrun snares rarnivr opinion.

JACOB H. WEISBROID, 0F. ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CARAND IFGUNIDRY COMPANY, OE ST. LOUIS,.MISSOURI, A CORPORATIQN 0.1 NEWJERSEY.

"UPPER BUFFING DEVICE FDR VESTIB'ULE FACE-PLATES.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, M16.

Application filed. March 16, 1915. Serial No. 1%,7'31.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB H. l VnisBnon, acitizen of'tie United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a cer tain new and useful Improvement in Upper Buiiing Devicesfor Vestibule Face-Plates, of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact descri )tion .such as will enable others skilled in the to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to railway over curves, crossings andirregularities in the track. V

Devices of the character to which my invention relates are usually knownas upper bulling devices for vestibule face plates, and generallyinclude a, spring, preferably of the semi-elliptic type, and composed ofone or more leaves, which spring is inter posed between the face plateof the diaphragm and the end of the car, and which, in service, iscompressed and expands with the corresponding movements of thediaphragm, thus at all times, maintaining the face plates of anadjacentpair of diaphragms in close yielding contact with each other.

The principal object of my invention is to provide comparatively simpleand inexpensive connecting means between the semi-elliptic spring whichis carried by the diaphragm face plate and the vestibule structure,which means is particularly effective in resisting the outward swingingmovement of the upper portion of said diaphragm face plate.

The connecting, means contemplated by my invention incluclespringbearings or brackets, each comprlsmg a member which is adapted to berigidly fixed to the car body while the same is under construction, andsaid member belng adapted to recelve a yoke or keeper, the same beingattached.

to the fixed member by means of a readily removable bolt or pin andwhich yoke or keeper maintains the end portion of the spring in properoperative position against the end of the vestibule and at the same timepermits the spring to be readily removed andrepositioned for use as maybe required when the diaphragm is undergoing repairs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described, claimed and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railwaycar diaphragm and showing a bracket or bearing of my improved construction associated with the face plate buffing spring. Fig. 2 is afront elevational view of the parts seen in Fig. 1. Fig.8 is an enlargedhorizontal section taken approximately on the line 38 of F ig. 2. Fig.

l is an enlarged vertical section taken ap- J proxlmately onthe linel--l of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings. 10 designates theend portion of a car vestibule, 11 the usual bellows diaphragm, and 12the usual face plate of said diaphragm. An ordinary semi-elliptic saring13 having one or more leaves is fixed in any suitable manner at itscenter to the upper central portion of face plate 12.

The bracket as contemplated by my'in vention and which serves as acombined keeper and bearing for the end of the spring includes a basemember, preferably in the form of a hollow block and comprising avertically disposed face plate 1d, horizontally disposed top and bottomplates 15 and 16, end walls 17, and cars 18, which latter are preferablyformed integral with the end walls 1? and being adapted to receiverivets or like devices which rigidly fix the hollow block directly tothe vestibule structure.

The spring" keeper which is associated with the hollow block ischannel-shape when viewed in end elevation and comprises a verticallydisposed plate 19 with the ends of which are formed integralhorizontally disposed plates 20, one of which overlies the top plate 15of the hollow block and; the other one underlying the bottom plate 16.coinciding apertures are formed through plates 15, 16 and 20 andremoxably positioned therein is a vertically disposed pin or bolt 21,the lower end of which receives a cotter pin 22 or like device whichprevents the accidental displacemen of said pin.

The parts of my improved device are proportioned so that the verticallydisposed plate 19 of the keeper occupies a position a short distance infront of the bearing plate 14 of the hollow block, thus providingbetween said plates a space or pocket for the end portion of spring 13,it being understood that the outer ends of the latter are bent forwardlyoutside the bearings or bracket, thus providing stops to limit theinward movement of the end portions of the springs with respect to saidbrackets. In service the spring 13 yieldingly resists the inwardmovement of the face plate 12 and during such action the ends of thespring move freely through the spaces between the plates 19 and 14, thelatter plates serving as bearings for the end portions of said spring.

While I have shown and described the upper buffing spring as beingconnected to the diaphragm face plate and the spring retaining bracketsor keepers on the vestibule structure, it will be understood that thepo-- sitions of these parts may be reversed, that is, with the springsecured to the vestibule structure and the brackets or keepers securedto the diaphragm face plate.

A device of my improved construction is v comparatively simple, can becheaply manufactured and installed, provides a substantial connectionbetween the ends of the face plate bufling spring and the vestibulestructure, readily permits the end portions of the spring to move freelyin both directions as the springis compressed and expands, and in theevent of repairs or renewal of the diaphragm, the keepers can be easilyand quickly removed to permit the release of the i of said elements, andbearings forthe free ends of said springs, each of which bearingscomprises a fiXed block upon which the free end of the spring bears, anda clevis-shaped keeper applied to saidblock and inclosing the end of thespring.

2. The combination with a railway car vestibule and vestibule diaphragmface face of which the free end of the spring engages and aclevis-shaped keeper detachably applied to said bearing member andinclosing the free end of said spring.

3. The combination with a railway car vestibule and vestibule diaphragmface plate, of a semi-ellipticspring secured to one of said elements,and spring bearings fixed to the other element, each of which bearingscomprises a member having a-bearing plate against the face of which thefree end of the spring engages and a substantially channel-shaped keeperdetachably applied to said bearing plate, with'the legsof said keeperapplied to the top and bottom of said plate.

' 4.--The combination withv a railway car vestibule and vestibulediaphragm face plate, of a semi-elliptic spring secured to one ofsaidelements, and spring bearings fixed tothe other element, each ofwhich bearings comprises a member provided with a bearing plate againstthe face of which the free end of the spring engages, a substantiallyclevisshaped keeper the legs of which engage the.

top and, bottom of said bearing plate and readily removable attachingmeans seated in the keeper and bearing'plate.

5. A diaphragm face plate spring retaining device comprising a bearing"plate against which the free end of the spring is adapted to engage, akeeper applied thereto, said parts being spaced apart to form a springpocket in which the free end of the spring is loosely mounted and adetachable member for securing said keeper to the bearing plate.

6. A diaphragm face plate spring retain-- fastening means seatedin saidblock and the overlying and underlying portions of the keeper.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my" signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this first day of March, 1915. V V I o p i I JACOBWEISBROD.

Witnesses: H r

7 Oscar. Hocnnnne RODNEY BEDELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingtli e 'do'mmissioner of Patents,

Washington, 11.0.

